Neutron-induced Reaction Experiments at Neutron Time-Of-Flight Facility (n_TOF), at CERN: From Stellar Nucleosynthesis to Nuclear Technologies

by Alice Manna (CERN, Geneva)

Monday 18 May 2026, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Zurich

BSP 626 (EPFL)

n_TOF is the neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN, operating since 2001, dedicated to high precision nuclear reaction experiments. A pulsed neutron beam is produced by spallation, sending 20 GeV/c protons from the CERN Proton Synchrotron onto a lead target, which yields neutrons with energies spanning an extremely wide range, from milli electron volts to GeV. The facility includes three experimental areas with complementary features: EAR1 (with a neutron flight-path of 185 m) for high energy resolution, EAR2 (20 m flight-path) for high flux on small or radioactive samples, and NEAR (~3 m) for activation measurements. n_TOF data are essential for understanding fundamental aspects of nuclear astrophysics, where they constrain the slow neutron-capture process of stellar nucleosynthesis, and for applied research, including reactor design, waste transmutation, shielding, and medical applications. This contribution presents the current status of the facility, ongoing experiments, and future perspectives.

LPHE_n_TOF_Facility.pdf